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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · tear · mouse · rule · board · mate

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rule — government
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rule — a law
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mate — a friend
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com